Malnourished Horses Taken From Buckeye Property

Maricopa County Sheriff’s officials are investigating a case of animal malnourishment and neglect in the West Valley.

Sheriff’s detectives served a search warrant investigating the possible abuse of 13 dogs, 11 horses and a goat in Buckeye. Veterinarians accompanying the MCSO’s Animal Crimes Unit determined nine horses needed to be removed from the large desert property. The dogs and goat were not removed, but the homeowner was issued a warning and told to care for them better. The homeowner was not arrested.

MCSO’s Lt. Brandon Jones said one of the homeowner’s sick horses is a Clydesdale. The animal is 700 pounds underweight. A health adult Clydesdale should weight around a ton.

“We don’t know if it was finances. We don’t know what exactly it is, but there’s indications that she was just in over her head with this amount of animals she had on her property," Jones said.

Jones said MCSO received an anonymous tip from a handwritten letter sent to them this week about the horses. The sheriff department is monitoring the horses at a no-kill shelter near Tent City.

The homeowner is currently facing misdemeanor charges for failing to produce food and medical care to an animal, but those charges could become fellony charges if any of the horses die from their abuse.

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